Media content such as television programs, movies, radio programs, music services, web programs, and advertisements may sometimes include an embedded identification code (e.g., an audio watermark) to track which consumers viewed and/or heard the content. Oftentimes the identification code includes information identifying the media content (e.g., an Entertainment Identifier Registry (“EIDR”) or an Ad-ID). Alternatively, the identification code includes content information that a consumer may use to access a website, participate in a promotion, or receive a coupon. Presently, identification codes are embedded within audio by media content producers or content providers (e.g., distributors, broadcasters, etc.). The identification code is usually modulated within the media content at a frequency that is inaudible by humans. Specialized decoding devices are configured to detect the embedded code and transmit the code to a monitoring entity. The monitoring entity aggregates detected codes and reports this information to the media content producers and/or media content providers.
Currently, the media content producer or content provider is responsible for generating and managing identification codes. However, the monitoring entity is responsible for reporting the detection of identification codes. The separation between the monitoring entity and the content producer/provider may reduce the effectiveness of identification codes or increase the complexity of managing identification codes. For instance, content providers or producers that want to use identification codes generate an identification code and modulate the code into the content. However, not all content providers or producers have an ability or capability of generating identification codes. Moreover, some content providers/producers prefer not having to manage generated identification codes. Further, as standards for identification codes change, the content providers and content producers have to update their systems accordingly.
Additionally, the current framework for generating and detecting identification codes is relatively static. As discussed above, an identification code may include content information for a consumer. A provider of the content information may not easily change the information after the information is embedded within the media content without altering the information within the media content. For instance, a provider may not easily change a hyperlink to a webpage (used by a detection device to access the webpage after detecting the corresponding identification code) after the hyperlink has been embedded within the media content. Additionally, the provider may not easily change how the media content is identified after, for example, an Ad-ID is embedded within the media content. A need accordingly exists for dynamic management and tracking of media content.